Published: Saturday, December 1, 2012 at 4:37 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, December 1, 2012 at 9:13 a.m.

APOLLO BEACH | The recovery effort has resumed for the crashed helicopter off Apollo Beach.

The helicopter went down into Tampa Bay Friday afternoon just after 3 p.m. in water about 300 to 400 yards off shore, just southwest of Beer Can Island.

The pilot, identified by authorities as 60-year-old John Lawrence Ward of Tampa, was killed.

Crews from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Tampa Police Department and the Coast Guard searched for Ward until dark on Friday. Crews will pull the wreckage from the water today and continue the search for Ward's body.

Multiple eyewitnesses called 911 on Friday after seeing the Robinson R-22 helicopter plunge into the water.

"It (the helicopter) still kept going forward for a second and then immediately dropped straight down," said witness Matthew Skull, who lives in Apollo Beach. "It did a flip and then hit the water and a huge splash of water."

The sheriff's office said the helicopter took off from Tampa Bay Aviation in Clearwater early Friday afternoon.

The Federal Aviation Administration also is investigating and the National Traffic Safety Board has been notified and will determine the cause of the crash once the aircraft has been recovered.

<p>APOLLO BEACH | The recovery effort has resumed for the crashed helicopter off Apollo Beach.</p><p>The helicopter went down into Tampa Bay Friday afternoon just after 3 p.m. in water about 300 to 400 yards off shore, just southwest of Beer Can Island.</p><p>The pilot, identified by authorities as 60-year-old John Lawrence Ward of Tampa, was killed.</p><p>Crews from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Tampa Police Department and the Coast Guard searched for Ward until dark on Friday. Crews will pull the wreckage from the water today and continue the search for Ward's body.</p><p>Multiple eyewitnesses called 911 on Friday after seeing the Robinson R-22 helicopter plunge into the water.</p><p>"It (the helicopter) still kept going forward for a second and then immediately dropped straight down," said witness Matthew Skull, who lives in Apollo Beach. "It did a flip and then hit the water and a huge splash of water."</p><p>The sheriff's office said the helicopter took off from Tampa Bay Aviation in Clearwater early Friday afternoon.</p><p>The Federal Aviation Administration also is investigating and the National Traffic Safety Board has been notified and will determine the cause of the crash once the aircraft has been recovered.</p>